I've always loved climbing the mountain that backed on to my place. The birds calling to one another, the breeze caressing my hair, even the sound of my feet steadily scraping against the rocks. I was always alone.

I didn't have to wear my mask of indifference, my trademark smirk. I could relax, let everything go.

No expectations.

I loved the freedom of climbing without restraint. Nothing to hold me back. Nothing to hold me down. Just the brute strength of my body to hold me up, as I would climb skywards.

No one ever visited the mountain due to the isolation and proximity to the Malfoy Manor. No one dared to come too close. No one dared to love a Malfoy.

***

I stuffed my feet into my hiking boots and lugged my satchel to the base of the cliff face on the mountain. I began the steady climb up, hauling my weight bit by bit. My mind wandered as each of my limbs moved up the mountain. A steady rhythm began, left hand, right foot, right hand, left foot, as I continued on my way.

I climbed higher and higher and my muscles began to ache. My head began to spin and my limbs had become weak so I decided to stop off on a ledge about half way up. I staggered over to my hidden stash of dried food and water, which I kept there for that very reason.

I hated that feeling. The feeling of being weak. The thought of something or someone being able to control you. That's why I loved being alone. No one to restrain me, likewise climbing without restraint.

That's all I wanted really; to be free. I hated the innumerable amount of people that wanted to control me and every minuscule part of my life.

How I wished I could have someone to understand that part of me. Someone who could realise that I didn't want to be controlled, someone who didn't judge me for being a Malfoy.

I sighed, pulling myself back to the present and stretched my muscles. I groaned as they strained but I already felt much better after replenishing my body.

I shoved my supplies back into their hiding spot, making a mental note to restock them. It's not as though anyone would notice them missing in the Manor. That was one of the decidedly upsides to being ridiculously wealthy.

I adjusted my hiking boots to a more comfortable position and prepared myself for the rest of the trek up the mountain. The top of the mountain was fairly flat and rather peaceful, which is why I loved to climb up there.

*

I could feel the sweat trickling down my back as I made my way closer and closer to the top. The heat was beginning to affect me.

My head began to spin again, and my vision became blurred. I had to really concentrate to make myself continue climbing.

I was so close to the top, yet now it felt so far. I struggled to keep going. If I didn't continue I would die. That was the plain truth; if I let go, I would fall to my death. Gripped with fear, I forced myself to keep going.

My hand trembled as I reached to grab the next rock, and the sweat on my hand made it near impossible to keep a hold.

I was nearly up to the ledge at the top, I just had to place my feet on the next rocks and then haul myself up.

I reached up to grab the ledge and the rock underneath my left foot broke away. My foot dangled mid air and I couldn't find another suitable rock to place my foot on.

I felt like I was paralysed. I was frozen with shock and fear. I couldn't move at all.

Then my left hand slipped.

I gasped. No one would notice if I died. No one would even notice I was gone. I squeezed my eyes closed and flailed my left hand around to try and grab hold.

My hand came into contact with something soft. Something delicate. My eyes flew open in surprise.

A pale hand was reaching down to me. It was flecked with minute, white scars and splatters of ink.

My mind was reeling; who could be on my mountain? Who would dare come within such proximity of the Malfoy Manor. Perhaps I wasn't going to die.

But I was utterly confused; maybe I was hallucinating?

The hand reached towards me again, taking hold of my sweating palm. I blinked with shock as I realised that I was still dangling on a cliff face, far above the ground.

My first instinct was to bat away the hand; I hated relying on someone else to help me. I hated being dependant. But I was in dire circumstances. I hadn't the energy to haul myself the rest of the way.

I accepted the hand, feeling surprisingly grateful towards the person. The delicate hand grasped mine firmly and tugged hard. I was mistaken by my initial impression. The hand may have looked delicate, but there was definite strength behind it. I inched up far enough to grip onto the edge with my other hand.

Between the two of us, my body was dragged onto the top of the mountain, where I then lay panting. I felt mildly delirious and attempted to thank my rescuer, but all that emerged from my mouth was a slurred jumble.

I moved to sit up and promptly passed out.

***

I jolted as my slumber was suddenly interrupted by someone splashing water on my face. I groggily opened my eyes to see a pair of silvery grey orbs gazing down at me. I attempted to jump up, confused as to why Luna – Loony – Lovegood was in my bedroom.

I glanced around, astonished to find myself at the top of the mountain. I noticed the sun's rays steadily disappearing below the horizon and remembered with a start what had happened.

I spun my head to face Lovegood's, “Y-you saved me?” I managed to croak out. I hated how weak I sounded, but the heat, the sun, had left me parched.

She merely nodded, and in that moment my rough exterior finally made its appearance.

I scoffed, “I didn't need your help, especially not from someone like you.”

I still sounded weak, but I didn't fail to notice the flicker of hurt in her eyes. I immediately felt bad and muttered an apology to her.

“It's okay Draco, I understand that you can't usually converse with someone of my sort,” she breathed dreamily.

I blinked, why had I apologised to her? And how in Merlin's name would she understand me?

I brought my gaze up to match hers and sighed, “Th-thanks for saving me.”

She smiled in that dreamy trance-like way of hers, and patted my hand, “Everyone deserves the right to live.”

I was absolutely bewildered. How could she possibly accept who I was? I gazed once again into those deep orbs of hers and asked that very question.

She continued to gaze into my eyes, seemingly unblinkingly, and smiled, “I know you aren't a bad person Draco, you have a pure heart. The people who surround you are poisoning you, rather like what a Goorpine does when it infests a house.”

I sat there absorbed in her eyes. I stared blankly into them, just thinking. I realised that her hand was still on top of mine and instinctively moved to shake it off, but Lovegood grasped my hand within her own.

“Lovegood, what are you doing?” I felt so confused, I didn't know what to think. I liked the feeling of her soft, warm hand holding mine.

“Call me Luna please, Draco,” she responded as she shifted her body closer to mine.

I gaped as I recognised how beautiful she was, “Luna,” I whispered.

“Draco,” she whispered back dreamily, smiling.

I was going crazy. There was absolutely no way on earth that this was happening. People like Luna just didn't like people like me. Hell, people like me didn't like people like Luna.

Luna sat even closer to me, we were nearly touching. My insides where thrashing in every single direction. My mind was twisting and reeling. I began to panic; what if someone saw us?

This caught me off guard as I realised I had no idea how Luna had come to be on the mountain. I quickly inquired this, before she came too close.

She blinked and answered, “I fancied a walk, and it is the perfect season to find the tiny Ollibgam creatures. They do prefer living up high, but I didn't find any before you came.”

She was so different, yet she took it all in her stride. She didn't care what I thought. She didn't care what anyone thought. I wished I could act the same, that I didn't feel the need to hide my real self from everyone.

I began to relax. She didn't care what I did, or how I acted, and I was fairly certain she wasn't going to be telling anyone.

Luna began to lean towards me, and I thought that perhaps something like this mightn't be so bad after all.

I closed the rest of the distance between us to meet her lips.

It was perfect. She was perfect. The moment was perfect.

I loved the way that Luna made me feel. I didn't feel the need to prove anything to her, I could let down my guard.

There was no way that it could happen. But it did.

“I love you Draco Malfoy. I don't know if it's real or not, but right now I would rather be with you than search for a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.”

Author's Note:

Thanks so much for reading this! I am really nervous to see your reactions to writing canon characters. This is the first time I've ever written them. To be honest, I don't think I captured their personalities properly but I gave it my best shot... everyone needs to start somewhere!

I would love it if you reviewed, that would seriously make my day :)

I know it probably needs a proper edit but I did give it a quick look over before I submitted it :)